CHICAGO Illinois Republicans last controlled the state Supreme Court the same year the former John Hancock building opened along North Michigan Avenue, and the Chicago Cubs infamously blew the National League pennant. Justices chose Appellate Judge Joy Cunningham to replace her starting . Before services on the bench, he was an assistant corporation counsel and an attorney for the Chicago Board of Education. Carbondale is a city in Jackson County that is home to almost 26,000 people. Prior assignments include a variety of calls in First Municipal, including the Civil Jury room, Motions and Assignments, and Traffic. The ISBA finds Judge Sophia H. Hall recommended for retention to the Cook County Circuit Court. The Committee finds Thomas More Donnelly highly qualified for election to the Circuit Court of Cook County. History buffs will recognize that year as 1969. [Read the Tribune's endorsements for the 2018 general election]. The groups investigation raised significant concerns about Judge Marinos work ethic, punctuality, diligence and knowledge of the law. Cook County voters should demand more from a $202,000-a-year employee. The Alamo dome was packed with Chavez fans, and the arena became quieter and quieter as the fight went on. Many attorneys praised his legal knowledge and ability, stating that he understands the issues in complex matters and has a good sense of justice. She has been a committee member with the Chicago Bar Association. Nine attorneys and eight nonlawyers evaluated judges up for retention in Cook County in the 2010 and 2012 elections. The ISBA finds Judge Brendan A. OBrien recommended for retention to the Cook County Circuit Court. Northern District of Illinois Probation. Using an index of three measures -- life expectancy at birth, bachelor's degree attainment, and poverty rate -- 24/7 Wall St. identified the worst counties to live in in every state. on Four Cook County Judges you should watch out for, The Chicago Sun-Times published a column from InjusticeWatch, which notes, they are the only judges seeking retention to each have more than a dozen decisions reversed by higher courts in the six years since they were last retained.. Lawyers report that he has a thorough understanding of the legal process with excellent legal knowledge, and his written opinions are thorough and well-researched. The report further faulted Illinois lawmakers and its courts for allowing a blizzard of recent legal actions against employers and other companies of all sizes and types under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, even when plaintiffs cant prove they were actually harmed by an alleged violation of the law. Illinois' overall pension debt is . He currently serves on the faculty of the National Judicial College. She is a past president of the Illinois Latino Judges Association and has been a speaker on legal topics. Candidates who are found not qualified have the opportunity to appeal their rating. The ISBA finds Justice Mathias Delort recommended for retention to the Illinois Appellate Court First District. United States Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Illinois. Hon. The ISBA finds Judge Timothy C. Evans recommended for retention to the Cook County Circuit Court. He lectures on legal topics. They can be fixed. He will yell at you randomly,pick on you and threaten to put you in contempt for literally no reason. California ranked as the second-worst with 20%). Tickets are $75 apiece and are available at this link . She is described as fair, patient, and sensitive to all. It should come as no surprise to Illinois voters that as it comes time to elect new judges to the Illinois Supreme Court, that Democrats would nominate two candidates with deep financial ties to former Speaker of the Illinois House Mike Madigan and Chicago machine politics. Repondents said Illinois had the least competent judges and worst quality of appellate review, while also failing to enforce meaningful venue requirements meaning the courts allowed plaintiffs to sue in what the defendants considered to be the wrong county or state altogether. Prior to her employment with the States Attorneys Office, she had been a sole practitioner handling real estate matters, and both a consulting attorney and an associate attorney with Winston and Strawn handling commercial litigation and real estate cases. Toomin is being targeted because in August 2019, he appointed the special prosecutor who exposed Foxxs pathetic political and racial decision to not prosecute Jussie Smollett, the actor who, on Jan. 29, 2019, allegedly faked up a homophobic and racist attack against himself to build up sympathy to improve Hollywood notoriety. In addition, he was Chief of Staff to Representative Bobby Rush from 1997 to 1999, and member of the Clinton Transition Team from 1992 to 1993 as Domestic Policy Director, and Commissioner of the Department of Economic Development for the City of Chicago from 1985 to 1989. Name (s) Address. Protected by Google ReCAPTCHA. First District Circuit Judge of Jackson County, was appointed as associate judge in 1986, then appointed to a vacancy on the circuit court before winning election to that seat in 1992. In the Tenth Edition of the Directory of State Judges, we have utilized Council judicial evaluations from 1986 through December 2020. In Cook County, 13 bar associations professional organizations for lawyers have long attempted to help voters on these down-ballot contests by rating each judicial candidate as qualified or not. He is considered to be a strong advocate and an experienced trial attorney who gets good dispositions for his clients. The ISBA finds Judge Catherine Ann Schneider recommended for retention to the Cook County Circuit Court. Attorneys reported that he is a solid judge with very good legal knowledge and a good understanding of evidence and is impartial with a good temperament. Elizabeth Beth Ryan has been licensed since 2004. Prior to joining the firm, he spent a year in American Samoa as a law clerk. Mathias Delort has been licensed since 1985. In January 2021 he was assigned to sit on the Appellate Court First District. Rich said he very much doubts that a politically appointed performance commission would fly in a state such as Illinois where judges are elected. And when a judge has the highest number of reversals that really suggests a problem,as it does with Judge Anna Demacopoulos. Jay Michaelson Updated Dec. 26, 2018 12:37PM ET / Published Dec. 25, 2018 9:44PM ET Currently she is on the board of the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation and volunteers with other community groups. Hon. She has some jury, bench and quasi-trial experience. Since 2009 she has been assigned to Domestic Relations Division. Matthew Link has been licensed since 2004. Judge Socrates P. Manoukian Santa Clara County CA. The lawsuits have particularly surged in the wake of an Illinois Supreme Court ruling, which determined plaintiffs dont need to prove they suffered any real harm from such biometric scans before they can sue. Susana L. Ortiz has been licensed since 2001. Stagg Marching Band Pit Crew as efficient as a NASCAR pit stop! In one of the worst rulings our legal team @NFGR_Official has ever witnessed, a Bush-appointed judge defied both the Supreme Court's Bruen ruling and the Second Amendment by upholding Illinois' "Assault Weapons" Ban. She was elected to the Circuit Court in 2016 and is currently assigned to the Municipal Department in the Fourth District (Maywood), hearing a variety of cases on a rotating basis. 34. Araceli Reyes De La Cruz was admitted to the Illinois bar in 2001. He has been assigned to the Law Division Jury Section since 2017. He is regarded by fellow attorneys as possessing exceptions legal skills, and being very inclusive and even keeled, with high integrity. However, in certain court systems in the U.S., the trend has not been so positive, the report said. The ISBA finds Judge D. Renee Jackson recommended for retention to the Cook County Circuit Court. Illinois is home to one of the worst pension crises in the country.1 At 39% funded, according to the nonpartisan Pew Charitable Trusts, Illinois has the worst pension funding ratio of any state.2 . He is a member of several bar associations. For primary and general elections, lawyers with the 13 bar associations ranging from powerhouses such as the Illinois State Bar Association to lesser-known ones such as the Hellenic Bar Association of Illinois ask judicial candidates to complete extensive written questionnaires detailing their career backgrounds, courtroom and work experience, and ethical issues that may have arisen in their past. She has been assigned to Chancery since January 2019. She does not report having any jury trial experience, and some non-jury trials from early in her career. Fighting for her job, Cook County judge says she didnt mean to mislead, In Illinois, punishment is slow and lenient for errant judges, Marriage Court: Cook Countys $180,000 judicial rubber room, Illinois Courts Commission: A Look at the Lengths and Results of the Cases, Illinois Courts Commission: What Makes for a Serious Case. Stymied by all those unfamiliar names at the bottom of your ballot? The Committee finds Viviana Martinez not qualified for election to the Circuit Court of Cook County. He was subsequently elected to the Appellate Court in 2012. For more information, the Cook County Clerk lists all of the 103 judges running for retention. She was appointed to the Circuit Court in 2015 and elected in 2016. Hon. For context, she adds, Judge Demacopoulos is at 11 percent and she has had the highest number of cases before the Appellate Court. He was a civil trial attorney at several firms and with his own practice, focusing on personal injury matters until 2010, when he was appointed to the Illinois Appellate Court, First District. He was elected to the Circuit Court in 1998 and retained in 2004, 2010 and 2016. Quickly add and highlight text, insert pictures, checkmarks, and icons, drop new fillable fields, and rearrange or delete pages from your document. A stress fracture in his shin. She currently practices with the Conway Law Group. Daniel Malone has been licensed since 1986. Pursuant to ISBA guidelines, Ms. Maria Barlow is found to be not recommended for election to the Circuit Court of Cook County. Donald Trump's judicial appointees are a near-uniform trainwreck, underqualified denizens of the hyper-conservative Federalist Society. Hon. Attorneys gave high marks for her ability to resolve complex legal issues, her ability to preside over jury trials, her professionalism, and her diligence. Gab.com,MeWe.com He has been assigned to the Housing Section since 2016 after initially serving in various sections of First Municipal. Smollett was indicted on 16 counts before Foxx dropped all charges in March 2019. He is described as fair, diligent, and sensitive to diversity. But this November, that 53-year string [] Another 1st District judge, current Chief Justice Anne Burke, is retiring. (function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';fnames[1]='FNAME';ftypes[1]='text';fnames[2]='LNAME';ftypes[2]='text';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true); Follow Ray Hanania at She has been a speaker and written about legal issues and served on the Proviso Township Mental Health Commission and the Hillside Zoning Commission. In 2016 she was elected to the Circuit Court. Of the few cases that appear before the Courts Commission, punishment is slow and seldom more than a public reprimand. The ISBA finds Justice Mary Jane Theis recommended for retention to the Illinois Supreme Court First District. Or they leave them all blank. He has taught on legal topics. Thomas J. Maloney was a judge in Cook County, Illinois from 1977 to 1991. She has been assigned to the Law Division, Jury Trial Section since 2007, and also is the Supervising Judge, Cook County Asbestos Docket. Among neighboring states, Wisconsin ranked highest, at No. He is a member of several bar associations, has lectured on legal matters to seminars and at Northwestern University. On Sept. 18, the U.S. Chambers Institute for Legal Reform released its 2019 Lawsuit Climate Survey: Ranking the Statesreport. Somejudges have zero cases appealed because of their given assignment. The ISBA finds Judge Kevin M. ODonnell recommended for retention to the Cook County Circuit Court. Robert Balanoff has been licensed since 1982. Since 2011 he has been a partner at Quintairos, Prieto, Wood and Boyer, focusing on commercial litigation, public affairs, and public finance. She was praised for her ethics and her commitment to diversity in her judicial appointments, as well as her demeanor and diligence. In Illinois, circuit court judges are elected to the bench. She practices in the areas of domestic relations, civil litigation and corporate law with the Barrett Law Group. He also lectures on legal topics and has bar association involvement. Attorneys regard her as an outstanding jurist who knows civil and criminal law in great depth, asks thoughtful questions, and writes detailed opinions. Do not edit original work. As Commanding General, he led the Union Army to victory in the American Civil War in 1865 and thereafter briefly served as secretary . Hon. She was elected to the Circuit Court in 2016 and has been sitting in the County Division since 2018, after first being assigned to First Municipal Division, Traffic Court. For its judicial endorsements, the Tribune Editorial Board relies on the bar groups evaluations and on its own research, including discussions with lawyers and judges who know the candidates. Judge Candace J. Beason. Get the State of Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board COMPLAINT AGAINST A JUDGE - illinois accomplished. Pursuant to ISBA guidelines, Judge Collins is found to be not recommended for retention to the Cook County Circuit Court. Prior to this, she has been Chief of General Prosecutions for the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation from 2014 to 2016; Deputy Chief of Staff and Chief Safety and Security Officer for the Chicago Transit Authority from 2009 to 2014; and an assistant states attorney from 2001 to 2009. Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). But I do have an issue with Demacopolous. Hon. All attorneys described her as well prepared with excellent legal knowledge, and they praised her well-reasoned decisions in complex matters. But most judicial candidates did not respond to the organizations questionnaire. The average reversal rate pursuant to the 2018annual report from the Illinois Supreme Court indicates that 22percent of civil cases and 17 percent of criminal cases are reversed. Hon. The judge's clerk will return the call. Since 2016she has been assigned to the Law Division where she currently sits in the Trial Division. At that point, the bar associations decide whether a judge is qualified to continue to serve or whether a candidate will be recommended for the bench. He was selected as an associate judge in 2007 and served almost exclusively in Chancery until his election to the Appellate Court in 2012. The Courts Commission is the seven-member body that decides on what, if any, discipline to impose for judicial misconduct, once it is charged by the Judicial Inquiry Board. WASHINGTON The Biden administration is preparing for a worst-case scenario if a conservative federal judge rules in favor of a lawsuit seeking to restrict access to one of the two drugs typically used to induce a medicated abortion.Two drugs, mifepristone and misoprostol, can be taken by women at home and are used for just over half of U.S. abortions. The Committee finds Michael Weaver qualified for election to the Circuit Court of Cook County. Built with the Largo WordPress Theme from the Institute for Nonprofit News. He has been a speaker or moderator on legal topics both in-person and virtually. The Committee finds Araceli Reyes De La Cruz qualified for election to the Circuit Court of Cook County. Judges are really sensitive about elections. Hon. Taney authored what is widely viewed as the worst single decision in the Supreme Court's history, the pro-slavery decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford. He has taught as an adjunct professor, written on legal topics and been a committee member with the American Bar Association. Hon. We asked an expert to explain them. The Committee finds Ruth Isabel Gudino qualified for election to the Circuit Court of Cook County. He was a private practitioner who focused on local government and election law. 1821 Walden Office Square Suite 400, Schaumburg, IL 60173. He was elected to the Circuit Court in 2016 and has been assigned to the Probate Division since 2017. Marcia OBrien Conway was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1984. 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